Ranked Florida's BEST community weeklyby the Florida Press Association.

Bar fight review continues

By Lisa Neff, Islander Reporter

The police investigation into a bar fight Sept. 25 at D.Coy Ducks Bar and Grille in Holmes Beach continued last week as one of the two men allegedly involved in the fight remained in the hospital in critical condition.

The incident occurred at about 3 a.m. Sept. 25 in the 5400 block of Marina Drive. Emergency calls brought Holmes Beach police and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies to D.Coy Ducks, along with Manatee County Emergency Medical Services paramedics and West Manatee Fire Rescue personnel.

Two men, identified as Shawn Paul Gettinger of Bradenton Beach and Philip Daniel Connelly of Bradenton, had been fighting, apparently over a pack of cigarettes.

The doorman at the bar separated the two men, who began walking outdoors in different directions. But then, according to several accounts, the doorman saw Gettinger run toward Connelly, who was walking away, and gave chase.

Gettinger and Connelly both punched at each other and then fell to the ground. Gettinger, who hit his head on the pavement, was bleeding.

Both men started to get up and resume fighting, but then Gettinger fell back to the pavement. He was unconscious, with a severe head injury.

A 911 call was placed from D.Coy Ducks, which brought HBPD, WMFR and EMS personnel.

Soon after, a perimeter was set up near Holmes Beach City Hall, a Bayflite helicopter landed to evacuate Gettinger to Bayfront Medical Trauma Center in St. Petersburg. Gettinger’s vital signs, at the time, were “not good and continued to fall,” according to the police report.

No charges have been filed in the incident.

HBPD also was called to the bar on Sept. 23 for a disturbance. An officer spoke with two men involved in an altercation. Both declined to pursue charges and agreed “to leave the bar for the evening and go their separate ways,” according to an incident report.

2 Responses to Bar fight review continues

I know its late, but this “case” is closed… What a joke! This is one of the worst things to ever happen. Plus the guy who was first to get the blame, came &spoke to HBPD to modify his statement and they told him… Case is closed… Wtf. I strongly suggest the need for this case to be reopened. Some kind of care/detective work is in order! There is way more to this story than meets the eye…